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Chase Student Argues Before Court of Appeals
Chase 3L Zac Corbin, Appellant Gene Mays, and Professor David Singleton
Chase 3L Zac Corbin, Appellant Gene Mays, and Professor David Singleton

Apr 29, 2009 - This morning Chase student Zac Corbin argued a significant case in the First District Court of Appeals on behalf of Ohio Justice and Policy Center client Gene Mays. In 2007, Mr. Mays took and passed the Civil Service Commission exam to become an electrician with the City of Cincinnati. But the Commission removed Mr. Mays from the list of eligible employees based solely on his felony record.

After graduating number one in his high school class in the early 1980s, Mr. Mays became addicted to crack cocaine and his life spiraled out of control. He began selling drugs to support his habit and was convicted of two felony convictions, the last of which happened in the early 1990s. After hitting rock bottom in 1997, Mr. Mays turned his life around. With the help of Narcotics Anonymous, Mr. Mays has not used drugs or alcohol since October 1997. In 2001, Mr. Mays entered an electrician training program run by a local union. Each of the 5 years of the program, Mr. Mays was ranked number 1 in his class. And he received glowing reviews from his apprenticeship supervisors.

Although the Civil Service rules give the Commission discretion to allow a person with a felony record to work for the City, the Commission ignored the rules and instead applied a blanket rule of denying city employment to anyone with felony convictions. This is apparent from explanations the Commission gave Mr. Mays for removing him from the eligible employees list and from the fact that the Commission didn't even bother to include documentary evidence of Mr. Mays' rehabilitation in the record on appeal. Zac argued that the Commission committed reversible legal error by not exercising any discretion.

Zac Corbin worked on Mr. Mays' case as part of his involvement with the Ohio Justice and Policy Center's Constitutional Defense Clinic. The Clinic is overseen by OJPC Executive Director and Visiting Chase Professor David Singleton.

"I am very proud of the job Zac did this morning," said Professor Singleton of Corbin's argument before the court. "He was brilliant and very well prepared. The court seemed receptive to his argument."